National fast food protest day grazes Rochester

Thursday

Sep 5, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By John Nolanjnolan@fosters.com

ROCHESTER — A day of protests by fast food workers on Thursday, Aug. 29 was predicted by the national press to impact up to 50 cities across the country, the unifying complaint being that of low wages.

Pre-publicity for the event was also posted on many web sites, and one Rochester fast food worker, Steve Ross, who is a seven year veteran of Wendy’s, was stirred to action, when he heard it on the news.

“It’s national fast food walk-out day,” said Ross, who, along with two other employees, was standing outside the restaurant, holding a cardboard sign.

Ross said he came in for his shift at 10 a.m., and talked to others on the crew. A little before noon-time, he and two other employees stopped work, and moved out to the Chestnut Hill Road connector, off Wakefield Street, with some hastily prepared signs written on cardboard box panels.

For almost an hour, Wendy’s remaining staff was able to serve the drive-through line, but closed the restaurant until supplementary workers were brought in to cover from other branches. During this time, too, one of the three protesters, drifted away, and went back inside Wendy’s.

The hour-long event was characterized by politeness on the part of Ross, who has been with the company for seven years, and the remaining protester, Ryan Dicey, who was hired a year ago. Both men make $7.50 an hour. As customers exited the lengthy drive-through line, Ross and Dicey apologized for the inconvenience they had caused.

“Be glad you have a f---ing job,” yelled one irate female driver. However, many passing motorists gave honks of support, while another woman walked up to them and said, “You have guts to stand up for what you believe in. Good luck.”

“We have taken a risk and made our stand,” said Ross.

“Most people are understanding about the inconvenience,” said Dicey.

A little after 1 p.m., they went back inside the restaurant.

Later, when contacted, the Wendy’s district manager, who only gave his name as Lucas, said the company had no comment at this time.

The Wendy’s fast food chain offered the following response to CBS News regarding the national protest.

“We are proud to provide a place where thousands of people, who come to us asking for a job, can enter the workforce at a starting wage, gain skills and advance with us or move on to something else,” Wendy’s spokesman Bob Bertini said in an email.

In Rochester, a lunchtime tour of Burger King and McDonald’s outlets, last Thursday, revealed no other signs of protest.